Thanks for posting this video Eric. I just picked up a pair of these and I couldn't agree more with all the things you said about them. I knew within the first mile that we had something special here. Thanks again, you're the man.
I have stood on the insoles of the Altra Superior 5 and the G 270. My foot fits within the Superior but spills over slightly on the G 270, would that make the G 270 a no go for long distance? They seem to fit perfectly in every other department.
@@darrenpaulirwin I guess it depend on how firm the over lays are on the 270, if I remember correctly, they are quite unforgiving- that’s the issues as the foot will have trouble swelling with ease!
I'm a heavy person and and and new to Jogging and running do to weight. I purchased a pair of ghost 12 by brooks wore them out in 4 months. I like that trail shoes have more bite to them and so I ordered a pair of these never owned a zero drop shoe. My driveway is rock and I have to say I love these shoes the more I run in them I feel more confident in them best purchase I've made in shoes and zero wear so far. Thank for the video.
Inov8 TerraUltra G270. These will be my shoes for my second attempt at the 54k, 4000m Ben Nevis Ultra. Last year I made it to the last checkpoint…15minutes too late. I used the XTalon Ultra 260, great shoes, especially on the mucky sections, though the grip felt a bit too aggressive for the slog back up Glen Nevis, along gravel track and some road. So far been for a first training run on the new shoes, mix of stony paths, gravel trail and road of about 40 minutes. So had did they perform. Straight out of the box, very comfy, though compared to the XTalon, stiffer and I could feel my big toe against the end. The plastic of the rand is stiffer, but hopefully will soon bed in. They certainly grip my feet a lot more than the now one year old XTalon, this feels better on the road, though not sure on the paths, I didn’t get quite the same feedback . I should add that I am almost fully into the journey into minimalist shoes (allow a good year), so like to feel my feet doing the work. Again as they bed in i expect this to change. Grip, very good, even on smooth damp schist, which can be very slippery. How they will fare in the gloop dropping into Glen Nevis…we shall see, I don’t expect to get away with clean shorts! Looks like the graphine is doing the job, hope so, the XTalon lugs were considerably worn down at the heel after training for and doing the race last year. So fingers (or toes) crossed they do the job, I make it the the finish line this year.
I think you will love the TerraUltra's which have now been changed to Trail Fly G270 on their website, just FYI. The XTalon are wonderful shoes but too niche for general use. Bring on Glen Nevis!
Great review Eric. I’ve been testing out Topo Athletic Mountain Racer here in our extreme AZ summer for the last 5 weeks. It may be my favorite shoe yet once I test its durability. You should check it out.
I have heard good things about Topo. The Topo's I have had in the past felt great, but were a tad stiff and a little off with how they fit me. But that was a while back, so might have to try them.
Born To Run Coach Eric Orton I passed!😁 I plan to gain more experience before trying to coach. In the meantime, I’m using the knowledge to better my own running, I need it! Thanks again for your support!
nice video , i buy this shoes , but for me (i have a norton neuroma) i put the rockplate sole of my altra superior in my G 270 , and now , its so perfect for any terrains , even rocky mountain .
Great review, Eric - recently bought the same shoe (but revised name of Trailfly) and totally agree, it's the perfect all-rounder especially for conditions here in northern England... cool looking sunnies ideal on the trails, which brand / model are they?
Cheers for the review mate, been looking for something like this for a while. Currently running in the vivobarefoot primus trail fg, have been looking for something for longer runs and for more technical terrain. These seem like the best option
Thanks for this great review and sharing your excitement. Like you I have a narrow foot and I have been sold on Salomons. I run 30km per week on non-technical trails near my house and use a mix of Salomon Sense Ultra (the first from 2017... bought 2 pairs), Sense 5 Ultra SG, Sonic 2 and Sense 7 SG. I need to replace my Sense Ultra from 2017 soon and hesitate between this Innov-8 and the latest Slab Ultra 3. Have you tried them? Any thoughts?
I have not pulled the trigger on the Salomon Ultra 3 yet. I did get the new Salomon Slab Cross for shorter snow runs, so stay tuned for that review. I love Salomon fit in general, but really enjoy this Inov8 for longer, less technical running. The Salomon Ultra will definitely have more protection, but you might not need it on your trails. I think the Inov8 is the best of all worlds and even though wider, it doesnt feel wide running, hard to describe.
Thanks Eric. I will look forward to the Slab Cross review. I live in Canada and use the Speedcross 4GTX and the latest Spikecross 5 when icy. Somewhere I read that the Slab Cross were not really waterproof (Matrix fabric is super strong but not waterproof)...
@@kgenest100 our winters are dry and cold with tons of snow, so I really dont need waterproof or spikes. So I agree the Cross are super strong in upper, but you will get wet. I have found the SLab Sense SG are the perfect lugs for our snow here. We dont get a lot of ice.
I have a pair and they are fabulous. I was planing to wear these on my first ultra this weekend and after weeks of dry weather/hard ground training we are into a week of rain and on the day is forecast rain. The trails are likely to be wet and mud/boggy in places. How do you think they will perform in the wet/winter conditions?
I am not sure any "ultra" shoe is really that good in wet and wintry conditions. Especially if it is a long ultra where speed is relatively slow, you might give them a try. Another option might be to try the Inov8 Mudclaw G260. I have not tried it but could be similar last to the TerraUltra but for mud.
So I've been doing my research on these bad boys and am thinking I will be pulling the trigger, I really enjoy zero drop light weight Altra Superior's but need more tread, I know the G 270's have amazing grip and durability with the Graphene compound but my question is how is the midsole material holding up for you? Lone Peak 4's from Altra worked just amazing for me but really flattened out after hundred miles, just hoping these Inov8's have a little bit more bang for the buck, thanks!
This is hands down one of the most responsive midsoles I have ever run in. I think everyone's use and breakdown of midsole is individual and this shoe has held up for me. And from my experience with Altra, such a better responsive shoe. One if the best midsoles I have ever run in. Way more versatile than the Superior.
If this makes sense the Inov8 is much more of a shoe than the Superior, in the same package. I would not hesitate to take the Inov8 on any terrain, which is not the case with the Superior. I see it as a great all rounder where the Superior is a one trick pony.
Thanks Eric. Would you recommend an empirical method for choosing size based on foot length? Is it okay to add 1.5cm to the foot length and convert it to size?
How was just ready to pick up a pair of heels and I just thought I would check with you are usually run in like five fingers on the roads so usually anything that’s even taste just too soft underneath it really doesn’t just work well with me I normally run in like salmon I sense pros. So just curious what is the feel of them are they really are they soft underneath, or I’m hoping more firm ground feel on these. Because for me this year things are kind of tight
Would you recommend for high arches and someone who’s had itb issues? I’ve been running in speedgoats for years but I’m getting the feeling that im a bit lazy in my foot placement as those shoes will just steamroll anything. Also feel like I’d prefer a bit more space in the forefoot.
Absolutely, one of the best shoes all time in my opinion and will give you much better feel for the ground and natural flexibility, than the Speedgoat.
I find the tongue too thin and cuts into my foot unfortunately. Also getting a bit of sideways movement, probably due to the width. I guess it depends on the shape of your foot - I've tried everything to get the lockdown right.
I have found that I actually had to LOOSEN the strings a little to help with this. The tighter I tied them for more "lock down", the more my feet lacked lock down. Maybe something to try?
@@BornToRunCoach I think you may be right. I re-laced my left shoe missing out some holes, forgot about the runners knot and combined with a grippier sock my comfort and lock down levels are much better. Thanks so much - I really wanted to like this shoe because it feels so slipper-like to put on.
Thanks for another great vid! So I have been mostly doing road running with a little trails. I have a trail race coming up. I have been in higher drop shoes for long/recovery runs and 4mm drop shoes for speed work. I have hoka speedgoats for my trails. Can I go zero drop shoes for the race or would it be too hard of a transition. Running 60-70 miles a week. Thanks
@@stephendurley1239 based on your weekly miles, I think you would be ok for the race. You might get a little sore in the calves after the race. And just be sure to use the new shoes a few times before the race if you can. I guess I should have asked when the race was?
Hi ! I run most of my days in the inov-8 trailtalon 235, I love these shoes. But when I run in the altra superior 4 it seems like my plantar fasciatis is coming back ? Any thoughts on that or advices ? Thank you
PF usually comes from calf issues. So really focus on good deep tissue work and a slight stretch of the calf with a long hold. Use the slant board to help stretch them and then do the slant board exercises. Since the Altra are zero drop and Inov8 I believe 4mm drop, the Altra might be causing more strength demands and stress to the calves, so again, the slant board exercises will really help.
They run great on roads. However, my time has been limited to minimal road to trail approaches. But again, they feel great and definitely the lugs are not too much for the tarmac.
I have not had trouble, but I do not run in wet environs very much. Very dry here in the mountains and when in the alpine early season when it is wet, would use a shoe better for mud.
Hi Eric, thanks for sharing really interesting insights so frequently! I wanted to ask you about something, hoping you will notice this question. I have started running recently (3-4 months ago, currently doing ~35k a week at low heart rate), am someone who can only run in Nike shoes (my employer) and live in the country of which 1/3 is below see level (the Netherlands), hence no mountains/trails. I only run on the roads and currently use Pegasus 37. I noticed that on your site, there are a lot of old references to Nike Frees, but those shoes have changed a lot since then. I'm wondering if you have had any exposure to these two models recently? Am I on the road to kill myself? :)
Hello Karolis, good to hear from you. My Nike Free references are old and from the very good 3.0 mike free, which was a 3 mm drop which as you know Nike no longer makes. I would look at one of Nike's racing flats as a good shoet distance road shoe. Or the Nike Free RN is a good shoe. It has a 5mm drop and not the best for me, but it would be better than the Pegasus for shorter strength runs. Hope this helps and gives you something to look for.
@@BornToRunCoach Eric, thank you very much for a quick response. That gives me more confidence to get Free 5.0 and give them a go. From what I gather from your videos, if not Frees, I need to pick the "least cushioning" shoes and look for as low of an offset as possible. I have ordered your book last night, so looking forward to exploring this area of running. Given that I haven't had too much time to learn the bad habits, I hope this will be an easier transition :)
